JOIN THE MOVEMENT TRANSFORMING YOUTH FUTURES STARTS AT THE DAM.
December • 2023
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Beyond Labels: How The Dam Fosters Resilience and Growth in Youth Two hundred and fifty hot dogs gone in 60 minutes! At The Dam, food is central to building relationships with youth as well as offering help without them having to ask for it. Nearly 600 of our 752 programs last year included providing food to youth and their families. Offering food to any child who visits The Dam meets a real need for the 25 per cent of youth who report that they have experienced food insecurity and one-third who say they’ve had to eat less healthy options due to financial constraints, without labelling these youth as being “in need.” Charlie, a former Dam youth, shared with his mentor that while he was in high school, he often only had food to eat when he visited The Dam. He chose to keep this reality private during his four years of schooling and is just one of many youths facing the same predicament. Over the past 28 years, we have heard from youth that “in need” is perceived as a negative label and can even make them feel ostracized. The same is true
for labels like “disadvantaged,” “high-risk,” and even “marginalized,” and this may be a big reason why youth don’t often ask for help in these ways. Instead, youth in circumstances like Charlie's suffer in silence and persevere despite challenging realities. For some, this leads to dire consequences,
such as addiction, poor mental health, trauma, and even criminal charges. The resistance to ask for help transcends the physical need for food. Teens don’t want to report abuse at home until they are in crisis, increasing their risk for homelessness. Fourteen per cent of youth in our programs report
that they experienced physical abuse, and the trauma of abuse can last well beyond childhood, impacting health, mental health, and behaviours. Another youth, Sally, had put one of the female Dam staff as her emergency contact with her doctor because she didn’t have another adult in her life to help her during a medical scare.
Waiting for youth to ask for help is too late, so we don’t! By providing ongoing support and resources to our youth population, The Dam is able to assist youth without singling out those who face more significant needs. In doing so, we create a more even playing field for youth to feel like they have a chance to succeed and flourish. A 2017 evidence review of public health interventions found a 5.6-fold increase in cost savings to the health system and the wider economy when investments were made in social development and prevention initiatives such as programs like The Dam.* This December, be a hero and donate. Every dollar you give is multiplied by five in cost savings on the system. Every $100 you give allows young people to access the help they need to access food, jobs, and housing—changing their lives in the process. Learn more and donate at thedam.org/heroes
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*(PEEL’S COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WELL-BEING PLAN 2020-2024)
Pascal Siakam’s PS43 is Empowering Communities Through Sports This fall, in an incredible display of unity and community empowerment, Alexandra Park in Toronto celebrated the grand reopening of its freshly refurbished basketball court. This significant milestone was made possible through a collaborative effort between Their Opportunity, the PS43 Foundation, the John Tavares Foundation, Tridel, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), and the Alexandra Park Community Centre (APCC). The revitalized basketball court at the centre of the park is a testament to the collective dedication of these organizations toward enhancing sports facilities and community engagement in this vibrant downtown Toronto neighbourhood. The youth, enrolled in programs at the community center, had the unique opportunity to refine their skills alongside basketball legend Pascal Siakam and John Tavares, Captain and Centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Siakam, NBA AllStar, power forward, and
philanthropist, is no stranger to making moves that unite communities—especially not in his second home of Toronto. His dedication to making a difference led him to create the PS43 Foundation, a notfor-profit organization rooted in the values of family and inspiring dreamers. The Foundation seeks unique ways to make a difference in the lives of children through education, tying in financial literacy, sports, and life skills to inspire kids to dream big and, better yet, give them a chance to achieve their dreams. In 2021, the PS43 Foundation launched Coding for Champions, a program aiming to bridge the digital divide and encourage children to pursue technological education by providing students within the Greater Toronto Area with opportunities to learn and develop various computer science-focused skills such as coding and programming. The following year, PS43 partnered with The Kickback Foundation, a Toronto-based grassroots initiative that engages
underserved communities through sneaker culture, creating unique educational experiences for young people of diverse backgrounds. The partnership provided the Kickback Foundation with funds for future initiatives and 30 pairs of sneakers. “The City of Toronto has been home to my family and me, and what makes this City special is the people,” he said of his Foundation’s involvement with the Alexandra Park renovation. “This court is a place where all youth can come together to play, work on their skills, and build connections. We know how important working hard and practicing can be, and we’re grateful to be able to contribute to a space like this where people can do that together through sport and community.” The transformation of the Alexandra Park basketball court included a professionally resurfaced playing surface and brand-new basketball poles and hoops. Beyond meeting the community's need for improved
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sports facilities, this renovation fosters a sense of unity and empowerment among residents. “For our tenants, this is more than just a basketball court,” said Tom Hunter, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at Toronto Community Housing. “It’s a place for the community to gather and a spot for children and youth to have fun and dream about the future. I have no doubt
it will become the heart of this vibrant community and a welcoming space for all neighbours to enjoy. “On behalf of TCHC, I want to thank Pascal Siakam, John Tavares, Randy Gill, their respective foundations, our developer partner Tridel, and everyone involved in making the new court a reality for our Alexandra Park families. We're beyond grateful.” ADVERTORIAL
Uniting Foodies to Eradicate Hunger, One Apron at a Time A good meal begins in the kitchen—and for Canadian social enterprise Cooks Who Feed, so do good ideas. A 2022 study* revealed that about one in five Canadians face food insecurity. With inflation on the rise and a global community still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, this number is set to increase. The fight against food insecurity resonates deeply with the foodie community. For one food lover in particular, it
sparked an opportunity to cook up something extraordinary— and get other food lovers in on the action. In 2016, on a trip to Delhi, India, for a friend’s wedding, founder Seema Sanghavi saw something that changed her life. She had heard about a local non-governmental organization training women to be seamstresses and providing them with safe, fair-wage jobs. “Upon meeting them, I instantly felt compelled to help,”
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Sanghavi recalled. “The management told me their biggest challenge was finding enough work for the ladies. I impulsively promised to get involved. I told them I would start something and work with them exclusively. I had no idea what we would produce; I just knew I had to do something.” Eighteen months later, she had an “a-ha” moment—she knew what she could do to make a difference. “Over the past year, I had read so many articles on food insecurity and how the numbers were rising,” Sanghavi explained. “I was thinking about all these statistics and then had this idea. Why not create a kitchen textile brand where every product has a giveback model providing meals? We started with aprons and worked with the NGO in India to produce them.” At the end of 2019, Cooks Who Feed was born, and their mission to unite food lovers for the cause of fighting hunger began. Their flagship canvas aprons provide 100 meals for
every product sold. “We ethically produce kitchen textiles with a give-back model, providing meals to alleviate hunger. We do this by sharing our profits with charities around the globe that recover surplus food to reduce food waste and provide immediate hunger relief,” the founder explained. The impact has been staggering: Cooks Who Feed has provided over 1.6 million meals to those suffering from food insecurity through the sale of their textiles. While the flagship aprons are still the most popular products, Sanghavi revealed that the organization has also added a kid’s line, tea towels, and linen napkins to their line-up. Every product comes with a hangtag that explains its impact and is signed by the maker. “Most of our textiles have been designed by well-known chefs who are passionate about reducing food waste and food insecurity,” Sanghavi said. “Our chef ambassadors include Canadian chefs Christine Cushing, Vikram Vij,
Romain Avril, and Devan Rajkumar. We recently created an apron for American celebrity chef and Food Network superstar Amanda Freitag.” Their line of textiles isn’t just for home cooks either—Cooks Who Feed partners with businesses, culinary schools, restaurants and cafes, and more. On top of that, their fruitful partnerships with Canadian charities like Second Harvest allow them to maximize their impact in providing meals and fighting hunger. “I think every business should focus on social responsibility and sustainability,” said Sanghavi. “Can you imagine what the world would look like if all companies focused on people and the planet as much as they do their profits?” Join the fight against hunger. Go to CooksWhoFeed.com to get your apron. If you’re a company that is looking for a custom gift that gives back, email us at info@cookswhofeed.com *STATISTICS CANADA
1 APRON, 100 MEALS
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